The space tourism industry, its millionaire would-be passengers impatiently tapping on their platinum credit cards, just got a little more crowded, with the announcements of a new rocket development company and of plans to build a $265 million spaceport in the United Arab Emirates.
Three telecommunications entrepreneurs from Texas have joined with Space Adventures Ltd., the company that sent the first paying passengers to the International Space Station, to develop passenger spacecraft for suborbital flights.
What I find most amazing about all this really is just the fact that so many people have already laid out money on these projects, including potential space tourists.
Will Whitehorn, the president of Virgin Galactic, said that 157 people had put down deposits totaling $12.2 million to fly in Mr. Rutan's craft, which should be in test flights by the end of next year and could be flying commercially by late 2008.
Now it's true that fads spring up overnight, overwhelm the media and your senses, and disappear as suddenly as they came. But I have serious doubts about calling this a fad when so much money has already been put into the industry.
The new company "...plans to build a $265 million spaceport in the United Arab Emirates."
Virgin Galactic is building a spaceport in New Mexico for a substantial sum as well.
Richardson announced that he will work with the state legislature to secure a three year commitment for a total of $100 million for the state’s share of the funding to build the world’s first commercial spaceport to be built in southern New Mexico.
The Governor’s funding package will be the cornerstone of a larger $225 million financial construction package that includes local, state and federal funding to build New Mexico’s spaceport in Upham, New Mexico.
As far as Blue Origin goes, since all the funding is private we can't be sure how much is being spent, but on the order of several hundred million couln't be too far off.
That brings us near a billion dollars in initial investment. That's serious money.
Fad or new industry of the future? We'll see.
4 comments:
I know, these stories are amazing to me for some reason but I suppose it is the product of people with so much money they don't know what else to do with it?
I think that sort of money bespeak of more than just a fad. I'm happy to see it.
"but I suppose it is the product of people with so much money they don't know what else to do with it?"
You're right about that! There's no way in hell I would spend 200k on a space flight unless I had about 3 billion dollars to drop on charities and such. But hey, that's just me. Lots of people do all kinds of stupid things with their money. Like buy SUVs or donate to the Republican party.
It's long been a dream of mine as well. I don't think I'll be able to afford a ticket for quite a few years, so I hope I'm not too old when I can afford it. And if you manage to get up there before I do, remember to take plenty of pictures!
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